The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-26
MOST ANCIENT ARIsTocRArs.
The Wealthy osages, and How They
Live.
kansas CITY Times.1

l%NNS NAtJ AhhSSsl
visitor to the Usage reservation, II he
has mind to study the human race under
varying conditions, finds much Of interest
He Is inter primes among the aristocrats.
The Usage Indians are about the only exam
pie now left in the United States Of a real
aristocracy. They do not depend upon gov
ernment rations, as do the Cheyennes and
others, at all, but have enough as their own
undisputed properly TO make them the veal
thlest community In the country. Besides
the land OF the reservation, which belongs 10
them by title hard TO assail, they have
about S7,00O,0O0 bearing per cent interest In
the hands OF the government. Thev are
paid about $4,000 year In cash. The en-
tire tribe numbers only 1000, so that they are
actually the richest body Of people we have
The Osages have all the attributes Of an
arlstocracy. They own the land, do ALSO
lutely no work, have plenty Of money. know
nothing OF barter and sale, and therefore not
mnch Of the meanness which characterize
all commercial classes. They envy nobody
and are satisfied with themselves and their
customs. With the virtues OF aristOcracy
they have It's vices. With generosity they
have shiftlessness and lazlness In perfection.
Though magnificent pastures lie before them
for miles, few Of them take the trouble to
own cattle, the majority preferring to buy
beef already slaughtered and cut up from the
traders. They are not even hunters and
hshers. Their lives are spent In lying around
under tents and shanties, eating to repletiOn,
and filling their blood with impurities which
they do not take exercise enough TO get rid
OF. Bad habits have brought on bronchial
scrQtulous diseases, which are helping TO
still further reduce their numbers. They
have no faith In white physicians, and thelr
own medicine men have as much influence as
a hundred years ago.
The government puts premium on repro
dqctlon BY the system OF distribution adopt
0f ha Ill f..l
women and children, receives about Sl6O ev-
cry year. The more wives and children an
Usage has, therefore, the richer he is In
spite OF this encouragement the tribe Is de-
creasing. A white physician at the agency
estimates that the rate Of decrease is not less
than per cent year among the full bloods.
The half-breeds are increasing. IL can be
at once reckoned that In another half CEN
tury the full bloods will have gone and the
splendid Inheritance will be In the posses
sion Of white men and their children, even IL
no new policy Is adopted by the government
to hasten the catastrophe.
The full bloods are nearly all honest and
manly In their way. They have an idea that
everything on the reservation belongs to
them, and they go behind the counters and
among the goods Of the post traders as free
ly as though theywere proprietors. I'D toa
certain point they understand buslness-deb-
1t and credit-but not much beyond the sim
plest FORMS As might be expected they are
chemically in debt They want TO buy every
thing they see, and think little Of prices. and
give away as readily as they buy. Other
tribes not so well provided with worldly
goods are fond Of visiting the Osages, and on
these occasions the custom of Smoking
presents works TO the disadvantage Of the
weather.. Several hundred ponies and
large amounts Of various property have thus
been given TO the Kaws and other poorer
tribes within few years.
Can the Osages be civilized? OF course
lneJ can. They are non civilized, 10 BE- sure.
They speak little English and wear the blaD-
ket and breech elout; they allow their
women TO die by scores in childbirth and
compel them to do all the work they are too
lazy TO raise cattle when pasture and feed
cost neither money nor work they keep M
the dances and paints, and cut their hair In
helmet fashion. All these things they do,
but they could be easily taught to ado0t the
customs OF civilization. Five years Of educa-
ton scientifically applied would make them
equal to the Cherokees In civilization and SUI
perior to them In force Of character.